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Germany has sharply criticized a peace proposal reportedly suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that ceding large areas of Ukrainian territory to Russia would amount to “a capitulation.”
Speaking to German public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that while Ukraine might eventually have to make some concessions to end the war, Trump’s proposed plan goes too far. Pistorius argued that Ukraine could have accepted a similar deal more than a year ago — but only by effectively surrendering — and said Trump’s proposal offers “no added value” now.
Frustrated by the lack of progress after more than three years of conflict, Trump has reportedly pushed for a settlement that would recognize Russia’s control over Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, as well as other Ukrainian territories seized during the 2022 full-scale invasion, according to officials familiar with the plan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently acknowledged that Ukraine currently lacks the military capability to retake Crimea by force. However, he reiterated that territorial concessions remain a red line. Ukraine’s constitution also forbids recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. “This territory is not my property. This is the property of the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said during a briefing on Friday.
Following a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican during Pope Francis’ funeral, Trump claimed they briefly discussed Crimea and suggested Zelensky “wants to make a deal.” Trump also delivered one of his strongest criticisms yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to “stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal.” Returning to Washington, Trump warned that he may impose new sanctions on Russia if progress stalls, questioning whether Putin genuinely seeks peace.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the coming week would be “very critical” for U.S.-led peace efforts, noting that negotiations were “close but not close enough.”
In a significant development, North Korea has publicly confirmed for the first time that it has deployed troops to fight alongside Russian forces. The Central Military Commission in Pyongyang praised its combat units for contributing to a “precious victory” in the Russian border region of Kursk. Russian President Putin claimed on Saturday that Russian forces had fully recaptured the Kursk region after a Ukrainian offensive last year — a claim Ukrainian officials dispute, insisting that fighting continues.
Putin commended the North Korean troops for their “heroism, high-level training, and self-sacrifice,” saying they defended Russian territory “as their own.” Western intelligence estimates that about 12,000 North Korean soldiers are currently supporting Russian forces, though Pyongyang had previously denied involvement.
South Korea’s military reported in March that North Korea had sent an additional 3,000 troops to Russia, replacing around 4,000 casualties. Pyongyang’s deployments were reportedly ordered directly by Kim Jong Un under a strategic partnership treaty signed with Russia last year, which commits each nation to immediate military support if attacked.
Kim praised North Korean soldiers as heroes and announced plans to erect a monument in their honor. Russia’s top military commander, Valery Gerasimov, also expressed gratitude for the professionalism and bravery of the North Korean forces.
Alongside troop deployments, North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with a large cache of military equipment, including short-range ballistic missiles, 170-millimeter self-propelled howitzers, and 240-millimeter multiple rocket launchers.
The U.S. State Department expressed “deep concern” over North Korea’s direct involvement in the war, warning that any military cooperation from Russia to North Korea must cease. South Korea’s Defense Ministry condemned the deployments, calling them a violation of UN resolutions and an illegal act that threatens global security, urging a strong international response.
